The invention relates to a method of reading out the sensor elements of a sensor with a matrix of light-sensitive or X-ray sensitive sensor elements which are arranged in rows and columns and generate charges in dependence on the incident quantity of radiation, the switches of the relevant sensor elements being activated via address lines and the charges of the respective activated sensor elements being drained via read-out lines so as to be processed further by way of amplifiers and transfer means. The invention also relates to a corresponding sensor as well as to an X-ray examination apparatus which includes an X-ray source for emitting an X-ray beam for irradiating an object so as to form an X-ray image, as well as a detector for generating an electrical image signal from said X-ray image.